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I dreamed that one had died in a strange place Near no accustomed hand; And they had nailed the boards above her face, The peasants of that land, And, wond'ring, planted by her solitude A cypress and a yew: I came, and wrote upon a cross of wood, Man had no more to do: "She was more beautiful than thy first love, This lady by the trees:" And gazed upon the mournful stars above, And heard the mournful breeze.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in National Observer, December 1891, revised 1895Text Authorship:
- by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "An epitaph" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979), "A dream", 1926, published 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Lawrence Gilman (1878 - 1939), "A dream of death", published 1903 [ reciter and piano ], in the collection Wa-Wan Series of American Compositions, volume 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robin Humphrey Milford (1903 - 1959), "A dream of death", published <<1958 [ bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest John Moeran (1894 - 1950), "A dream of death", R. 40 (1925), published 1925 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Graham Whettam (b. 1927), "A dream of death", rev. 1973, first performed 1967, from Three Songs to Poems of W. B. Yeats, note: name of song cycle was originally Three Songs from "The Rose" [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Une épitaphe", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 79
J'ai rêvé que quelqu'un était mort dans un endroit étrange Près d'aucune main habituelle ; Et ils avaient cloué les planches au-dessus de son visage, Les paysans de cet endroit, Et, étonnamment, planté près de sa solitude Un cyprès et un if : Je vins, et j'écrivis sur une croix en bois, On n'avait rien à faire de plus : "Elle était plus belle que ton premier amour, Cette dame près des arbres." Et je jettais les yeux au-dessus des étoiles en deuil, Et j'entendis la brise en deuil.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "An epitaph"
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 86